Hit-and-Run Help Sought

BERLIN — The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office this week is seeking the public’s help in solving a hit-and-run accident involving a pedestrian in Pocomoke in late December.

Around 7 p.m. on December 28, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Collision Reconstruction Unit assisted the Pocomoke City Police with a motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian. The investigation revealed the female victim was struck initially by a Ford passenger car. After the initial collision, the victim was struck again by other vehicles.

The County Sheriff’s Office Collision Reconstruction Unit this week is requesting anyone that might have been traveling southbound on Route 13 in the area of the Your Doc’s In medical office around 7 p.m. on Dec. 28 who believes they might have seen something or believes they might have run over something to contact Lieut. Ed Schreier of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office at 410-632-1112, ext. 2224.

Jail For Boardwalk Melee

SNOW HILL — A Florida man arrested in September along with five other suspects after a large fight on the Boardwalk pleaded guilty last week in Worcester County Circuit Court and was sentenced to 18 years in jail, all but six months of which were then suspended.

Around 6 p.m. on Sept. 2, Ocean City Police responded to the south end of the Boardwalk in response to a report of a large fight involving one suspect with a knife. OCPD officers arrived and observed several individuals actively fighting in the area directly outside of the Davey Jones Locker Room restaurant. As officers attempted to break up the fights, several of the combatants fled into the Inlet parking lot area.

One of the suspects, later identified as Carl Ross Perry, 47, of Berlin, was wearing a T-shirt indicating he was an employee of the restaurant. Perry continued to fight despite attempts by several Davey Jones Locker Room employees to restrain him. OCPD officers attempted to stop Perry and ordered him to the ground, but he did not comply and actively fought with four officers until he was subdued and taken into custody.

OCPD officers located the five additional suspects involved in the altercation in various locations around the Inlet parking lot. The other five combatants were later identified as Deve St. Fleur, 24, of Immokalee, Fla.; Jermaine Phillips, 24, of Fort Meade, Fla.; William Freeman, 33, of Fort Meade, Fla.; Michael Smith, 45, of Fort Meade, Fla.; and Valen Joseph, 23, of Lehigh Acres, Fla.

During the subsequent investigation, officers recovered a backpack belonging to St. Fleur, which contained several baggies of suspected marijuana as well as other evidence that indicated the marijuana was being sold. After Perry’s arrest, officers found an amount of marijuana on his person packaged identically to the items recovered from the backpack belonging to St. Fleur.

Witnesses told police Perry was outside with the five suspects, but at one point went back into the restaurant and returned with an object later determined to be a knife. According to the witnesses, Perry threatened the other suspects with the knife, which touched off the large brawl. The investigation determined the confrontation was the result of a dispute during an illegal drug transaction.

As a result of the altercation and arrests, three OCPD officers sustained injuries. Two were treated at the scene by Ocean City EMS. One officer was transported to Atlantic General Hospital for treatment of injuries not determined to be life-threatening.

Perry was charged with three counts of second-degree assault on three police officers, two counts of second-degree assault, resisting arrest, reckless endangerment, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. St. Fleur and Phillips were charged with affray, disorderly conduct, possession of marijuana and paraphernalia and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Smith was charged with affray, disorderly conduct and possession of marijuana. Freeman and Joseph were each charged with affray and disorderly conduct.

Last week, St. Fleur pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and disorderly conduct and was sentenced to a combined 18 years, all but a little over six months of which was suspended. He was also fined $500 and placed on probation for two years. Perry is scheduled to appear for trial in February. The other four suspects were scheduled to appear in December, but each failed to appear and have warrants sworn for their arrests.

Disorderly Conduct Plea

BERLIN — A local man arrested for his role in a large fight in Berlin in October pleaded guilty last week to disorderly conduct and was sentenced to two days in jail.

On Oct. 14, Berlin Police, with assistance from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, the Maryland State Police and Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP), responded to a large fight at the multi-purpose building on Flower Street in Berlin. Upon arrival, officers observed a large fight in progress involving at least 20 combatants.

Officers were able to break up that fight with several individuals leaving the area. A short time later, officers responded to another fight near an apartment complex in Berlin. Police encountered a large group fighting outside one of the apartments and this time were forced to use pepper spray to disperse the combatants.

One man, identified as Lavar J. Ayres, 33, of Berlin, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. Ayres was accused of causing a disturbance and failing to leave the area after being ordered to do so. Last week, Ayres pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was sentenced to two days in jail. He was also placed on probation for three years and fined $200.

Guilty Plea In Chase

SNOW HILL — A Laurel, Md. man arrested in June after a high speed chase through the Berlin area pleaded guilty last week to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and now awaits his fate pending the outcome of a pre-sentence investigation.

Around 6 p.m. on June 5, Maryland State Police troopers were conducting a stationary speed enforcement detail on Route 50 near Route 346 when they attempted to stop a green 2003 BMW for going 72 miles per hour in a 55 mph zone. The vehicle swerved to the shoulder, went around the trooper and accelerated at a high rate of speed to avoid apprehension. The vehicle was clocked at 113 mph after it passed the speed enforcement detail and disappeared from sight once it turned onto Route 113 heading into Berlin.

A short time later, MSP troopers located the vehicle unattended in the Food Lion parking lot in the Brittingham Square shopping center. A detailed investigation was conducted including witness interviews and a review of store surveillance video and troopers were able to locate two of the suspects from the vehicle hiding in a store in the shopping center and a third hiding in the woods behind it.

The driver was identified as Martin Enriquez Santelices, 21, of Laurel, Md.; while the two captured passengers were identified as Brandon Michael Fitzpatrick, 19, and Maxwell Fashola, 19, both of Columbia, Md. A search of the vehicle revealed 12 ounces of marijuana, a digital scale and plastic baggies used to package and sell marijuana in the trunk.

Last week, Santelices pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and a pre-sentence investigation was ordered Sentencing is set for March 6. Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick and Fashola each had the charges against them placed on the stet, or inactive, docket.

Featured Stories

SALISBURY – The Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore raised more than $88,000 during its second annual “Shore Gives More” campaign. The foundation’s online campaign allowed individuals to find charities from Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset counties and give them the opportunity to donate on one site. “The Community Foundation serves a diverse audience of organizations,”… Read more »

OCEAN CITY — New regulations prohibiting bow-riding on vessels could be in place as soon as next spring after a productive meeting last week between the area’s representatives in Annapolis and state boating officials. In the wake of several serious boating accidents in the resort last summer, including a fatal propeller strike that claimed the… Read more »

OCEAN CITY — Roughly nine miles off the coast of Ocean City, a quiet memorial and final resting place of a beloved long-time resort local, who passed a year ago this month, is now symbolically teeming with life as part of growing artificial reef site. Tony Meredith, known reverently and affectionately as “Uncle Tony” by… Read more »

OCEAN CITY — Calling a potential designation of the offshore Baltimore Canyon as the nation’s first Urban National Marine Sanctuary potentially “devastating” to the multi-million dollar fishing industry, resort officials this week agreed to send a letter of opposition to state and federal representatives. In October, National Aquarium officials announced they were seeking an Urban… Read more »